


Forbid Love, Thy Must Not

by Lachesissora



Series: Nevan'ly Love [1]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fairytail AU, Prologue for another series in the making, Sanctus will forever be the sus Pope, fairy godmother Nevan, some lines are taken from a tv show and if you know which line and from where then ayyyyy, very loosely based on cinderella concept
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29509755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lachesissora/pseuds/Lachesissora
Summary: In the Kingdom of Fortuna, there was a foreign Knight named Sparda who fell in love with a Maiden, named Eva. But due to the law of the Church that forbid any union with an Outsider, they realised that they have no chance to be together.... Until a starved fairy took matter into her own hands!
Relationships: Eva/Sparda (Devil May Cry)
Series: Nevan'ly Love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167791
Comments: 13
Kudos: 15





	Forbid Love, Thy Must Not

**Author's Note:**

> asdfghjkl I'm not taking any credit for this idea. You have to blame Sync and Varen for this 🤣 also thanks to Rubi for proofread this too 
> 
> Basically this story is a prologue to another story that is currently in the works. I won't tell you what it is but some part of this story will relate to the other story. Anyway, this has been very fun to write and I hope you guys can enjoy!

Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of Fortuna, there was a foreign knight who came to this island, sharing his knowledge and wisdom to assist the kingdom during the great war. Because of him, the kingdom won the thousand year great war and peace was finally achieved.

Everyone in the kingdom praised the foreign knight. They even made a celebration for him as a gratitude towards his assistance during the war. Everyone on the island knew him: The common folks loved him as he always found his time to listen to their troubles in the plaza and provided them with some wisdom. The adoration from the public didn’t just end there, as the King also shared the same admiration and respect towards the knight, that he soon was promoted to be one of the top generals, serving directly under his Majesty command.

No one opposed the King’s decision as the King was known to be fair and wise.

And soon they all referred to the foreign knight as _The Dark Knight Sparda._

The title was a bit ironic as Sparda’s features were totally opposite of the title that was bestowed on him. In fact, his features were very much different from the rest of the population.

Hair as white as snow, eyes as blue as the magnificent sky, Sparda’s ethereal features charmed almost everyone in the kingdom. It wasn’t a wonder why some of the people referred to Sparda as an angel came from the heaven’s above. His charming looks were simply out of this world!

And because Sparda was an eligible bachelor, he instantly became the talk of the town, especially among the ladies.

There were so many attempts to gain the eye and heart of Sparda, especially from high ranking noble mothers. These mothers tried their best to introduce their single daughters to him at any chance they had at social gatherings. And ever the gentleman Sparda was, he indulged them by getting to know them all, as making conversation with them seemed like an easy task for him.

However, this didn’t mean that everyone was pleased with the attention that Sparda was having.

The next morning, the Pope, who was the second highest person in the kingdom, reminded the people of a decree long forgotten: All the ladies of the Kingdom were not allowed to marry men from outside of the kingdom, or else, they would have to leave this kingdom and never come back.

The people were not happy with the ruling but they couldn’t do anything but to comply.

Even the King couldn’t have a say in it as His Majesty's idea of uniting one of his precious princesses with Sparda had been denied vehemently by the Pope.

In all honesty, Sparda couldn’t even be bothered with the ruling. In fact, he didn't even plan to settle down in the first place. He was just trying to be polite with them as he found it rude to just leave the ladies hanging, and he never made any promises or anything. All of his interaction with them were very much basic pleasantries.

Until one day, while he was at the Royal Pharmacy seeking out medicine to give to his injured squadron, he met an elegant young lady, named Eva.

Eva was the daughter of a noble family and was also an apprentice physician stationed at the Royal Infirmary. She and Sparda met a few times, exchanging jokes and pleasantries along the way. And in all of those interactions, never had Sparda felt so at ease, like he didn’t have to play pretend anymore.

From there on, they started to meet up more frequently outside of the infirmary visits. Sometimes at the cafe in the plaza, other times at the Royal Botanical Garden. They even spent quiet times at the Royal Library too, reading each other poems and stories while exchanging shy glances.

One day during the Royal Gala event at the Palace, Sparda and Eva sat together quietly at the gazebo in the garden outside of the Palace Hall, taking a much needed reprieve from the bustling noise inside.

“Sparda, is this even allowed?” Eva’s voice was like a whisper. Her gaze was set on the fountain in the middle of the garden, refusing to turn to her beloved. They had talked about this before as they were both aware of the growing attachment they had towards one another. At first they thought to ignore it, settling on just being friends. But as one's heart yearned for the other, they found it was impossible to ignore the blooming love they had.

“Milady, I wish I had the answer to that...” Sparda murmured. His hand gripped on hers tightly.

They stayed quiet for another moment, allowing the tranquility of the evening garden ease the sorrow of their hearts. The music from the hall slowly faded away into the background, replaced by the splashing sound from the fountain. Ultimately, they knew what needed to be done. But none of them would want that.

Taking a deep breath, Eva spoke: “We can move to the mainland, if the rules dictate us to.”

“And leaving behind your precious friends and family? And your dreams?” Sparda turned to her, cupping both of her hands, pleading. “My dear, Eva, please. I could not allow you to abandon everything for me!”

“Then should I abandon my growing affections and feelings for you instead, Sparda?” Eva countered as she turned to his gaze with such burning intensity.

“Eva…” Sparda was conflicted. As much as he didn’t want to let her be subjugated to an unjust law, his selfish side wouldn't want to let her go. He wanted to be with her, to see her smile no matter the day and night, summer or winter. To have her within his reach, touching her, loving her. Throughout his whole solitary life, never had he felt this strongly towards a person.

People come and go. But Eva? He wanted her to stay.

_Forever._

“There must be another way. There have to be…” Sparda brought her hands to his lips, and Eva leaned in and rested her forehead in his. They stayed like that for a while until it was time to depart.

Sparda promised her he would find a way that would not leave any of them in pain. But even then they both knew, no matter what the outcome, someone would end up hurting.

He stood there after hours since Lady Eva left, thinking of how he should plead his case. Sparda knew of his place as an outsider. He knew despite all of the praise, love and promotion he got, there’s bound to be people who despise him just because of his status as an outsider. And the Pope, Sanctus, was one of the people who openly shared that sentiment.

A sudden cold breeze blew past him causing Sparda to immediately snap from his musing. He drew his sword as he scanned the entire garden. Strange, nobody was there except him. Sparda took a deep breath, and looked up to the full moon up in the sky.

Perhaps it was time for him to rest for the night.

Little did Sparda know, once he had left the garden, the water from the fountain started to float and form a mist, revealing a sultry woman, whose hair was long enough to cover her bosom and wore only a black dress.

“What a pitiful couple.” she sighed. “To fall in love only to realise that their love is forbidden just because an old geezer said so... What a joke!” She tsked, her face grew red in anger. “How am I supposed to have my grand feast if everyone on this damn island is all sad and gloom? This can’t be happening! That Sanctus is killing all the lust this Island has to offer!”

At her fit of rage, she accidentally summoned a cauldron of bats, forming a dark electrifying cloud just above the garden. Once she realised that, she quickly dismissed it.

“Oh Sugar, I lost myself. It’s been awhile since I had a proper meal ever since that stupid ruling preventing people from being happy. I can no longer stand myself feeding on false love.” She whined mostly to herself, pacing back and forth in the garden. But then she stopped, “Unless, those two lovebirds bone one another, I might have a chance to thrive.”

She tapped her chin with her long finger, a mischievous grin started to form as she glanced at the gazebo where the young couple had stayed throughout the ball.

“I guess I should lend them an assistance. They are lucky though, I wouldn’t simply offer help without a price. But for the sake of my own growing hunger and dwindling sanity, I guess I’ll have to step in.”

With a twirl, the mysterious woman then disappeared into thousands of bats, flying off to the darkness of the night.

***

Eva woke up from a very strange dream.

In that dream, she was greeted by a woman, hair as red as the colour of the setting sun. The woman was very pale, as if her skin had never been exposed to the sun, and her dress… well, she didn’t wear anything to cover her top, just her hair conveniently was long enough to cover her bosom.

The woman gave her a peculiar smile that revealed her fangs. Eva should feel scared of that woman as she exuded such an intimidating presence, however, Eva found herself entranced by the woman as she took her steps closer to Eva, caressing her cheek with her cold, sharp fingers.

The woman leaned in closer to her ears and whispered: “If you wish for your love to prevail, then fight for it, as love conquers all. Have an audience with The King, and tell him of your desire to be with your beloved. He will hear you loud and clear, and grant you your wish.”

Eva told Sparda of her dream when she saw him at the palace the next morning. And surprisingly, Sparda too had the same dream as well. “If this is a sign of what we must do to secure our future, then I believe it’s worth trying.”

That very afternoon, the young couple had a private audience with the King. It wasn’t that difficult for Sparda to request an audience with the King, as His Majesty had made a promise to him that he would grant Sparda an audience at any given time. But Sparda had never used this privilege before, not until today.

“You wish for me to grant you a special permission to take the hand of this young lady here?” The King repeated.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Throughout my service to the Kingdom and the Crown, never once have I asked for a reward or a favour. But for this moment, I beg of you, Your Majesty, to please let us be together. We know what we are asking here is too much but we wish for your wisdom to allow us to be together by overlooking this discriminatory rule.” Sparda was on his knees, bowing to the King.

“Rise, Sparda.” The King commanded, and Sparda rose to his feet. “Tell me, why should I give you that privilege?”

“If I may be honest, Your Majesty,” Sparda began. “When I first came to this Kingdom, I never cared about settling down and forming relationships. I came here with only one goal: to fight and then leave once the war was over. But then you and the people of this Kingdom welcomed me with such warmth for a mere stranger, that soon I found myself home on this island. Then later on, I met this beautiful, elegant young lady, Eva - whose brilliance never fails to surprise me - and we instantly became fast friends.”

Sparda's gaze softened as he looked at Eva with a fond smile. Then he turned his attention back to the King, eyes firm with conviction.

“We knew it was against the law and we tried to remain as friends. However, we simply enjoyed each other’s company so much we could not stay away from one another. Conversation has always been easy. Her laughter brings me joy. That’s when I realised: To meet a beautiful woman is one thing, but to meet your _best friend_ in the most beautiful of women is something entirely apart… I wanted her to be my wife… And so I plead with you… not to separate us and let us be together.”

The hall turned silent as Sparda declared his confession to the King. Eva felt touched, her heart swelled with warmth by the sincerity of his words that she had to compose herself from not letting her tears spill.

The king then turned to Eva, “What about you, Milady? Do you harbour the same feeling as our knight here?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Eva spoke for the first time in the audience room. Her head remained bowed to the King. “We are aware that what we have is forbidden based on the law of this land. However, the matter of the heart can’t be simply judged by the logic of the mind. I-” She raised her head and turned to Sparda, “My heart yearns for him, Your Majesty. And the longer we are forced to apart, the more painful it is for me to bear.”

The King left out a grunt as he considered the words of his trusted knight and the bright soon to be physician.

“Very well.” Both Eva and Sparda looked up to the King, feeling hopeful and thankful. “You have been such a loyal knight to me, Sparda. You serve me without even wanting anything to return despite the glory you’ve brought to this Kingdom. And because of that, I believe I should return the favour: I grant you my permission to marry Lady Eva. And don’t you worry about what others said: You’re Fortuna’s sword and armor; You are never a stranger to this Kingdom.”

***

The news of the courting between Eva and Sparda was well received by both the public and the nobles alike. However, not everyone was pleased with the news.

Sanctus, the head Pope, was furious at the King for allowing Sparda to ask for Eva’s hand. He made his displeasure known straight away in the council room, stating the fact that Sparda was a stranger with a mysterious background. But the King remained unfazed and reminded Sanctus of the sacrifice, the glory that Sparda had brought to the Kingdom. Leaving Sanctus no choice but to bitterly accept the decision.

But that didn’t mean Sanctus was going to allow this union to happen. For the sake of the purity of this land, he would not simply stand aside and watch.

The law may not be able to prevent them, but _other circumstances_ could.

So the Pope drafted out a plan and waited for the next Royal Ball to carry out his wicked plan..

****

“I need to go to where again?” Eva asked for some confirmation as she thought she might have misheard the messenger. _Mitis Forest?_ Why would they send her there today when she was off duty. Shouldn’t there be another physician on duty today?

“Yes Lady Eva. There has been a shortage of staff at the infirmary that they had to call you back to go check on the villagers that live there.”

“I wouldn’t mind it though but I need to be at the Palace today by six in the evening.” She reminded him as tonight was the night where The King would announce her engagement to Sparda, and surely she wouldn’t want to be late.

“Well if we go there now, we might make it to the palace before the event started, Lady Eva. Please don’t worry, all the medical necessities are already there at the village. So shall we go now, milady?” The messenger opened the carriage door for Eva to step in.

Eva told him to wait for a minute for her to grab her own things and inform her family of her sudden duty. Then, she quickly entered the carriage and made haste to the village.

It took only an hour and a half by carriage to go to the small village at Mitis Forest. They arrived right before noon and immediately Eva proceeded to conduct her duty. She went to each house, one by one, to check on the villagers' health. By the time when everyone got their yearly health check, and Eva had certain that there was no serious health concern threatening the villagers, the sun was barely about to set.

“It’s getting dark soon, Lady Eva.” The messenger informed as he looked at his pocket watch. “Since we don’t have much time left, I suggest we go straight to Fortuna Castle instead, as it is the closest to this village. However the coachman informs that the road there is a bit bumpy, so you might not be comfortable throughout the journey, milady.”

“I wouldn’t mind. In fact, I believe you have already thought of the best possible outcome for our circumstances. A few minutes of discomfort shouldn’t be a problem for me.” Eva smiled. But then she realised she was still wearing her work clothes that were now covered with dirt. In her business to attend the villagers, she didn’t realise she had dirtied her dress. She couldn’t possibly attend her own event in these.

“Ah, don’t worry about your dress, Lady Eva. I already informed your maid if we are not back by 4 in the evening, then she should prepare your dresses at one of the dressing rooms in the Palace.”

“Ah, thank you kindly, sir. I’m sorry I must have troubled you a lot.” She curtsied.

“It is not a problem, milady. I’m just doing my job.” He bowed.

The coachmen sure wasn’t lying when he said the road ahead was uncomfortable. Every turn there was a bump, causing the whole carriage to shake. Eva looked out of the window, the sun was already set for about half an hour ago. The journey felt a bit longer than it should be or was it just her imagination?

Suddenly Eva felt restless as she couldn’t wait to arrive at the palace soon. The gala tonight was important for her and Sparda as the King had decided it would be a great opportunity to announce the engagement to the whole kingdom.

And here she was, on her way to the palace still in her work clothes and cover with dirts.

She wondered what Sparda expression would be like when she told him about what had transpired today? Would he be amused at the sudden turn of events or would he feel proud of her sense of duty before anything else? Part of her thinking that Sparda might have chastised her for placing her duty more than herself. But that’s just like the pot calling the kettle black.

A sudden harsh break by the carriage caused Eva to stumble forward due to the momentum. She managed to brace the impact before she could hit her head on the carriage wall. Eva tried to steady herself inside the carriage but then she heard the messenger shouting something outside.

Then the horse let out a distress whine, and Eva was certain she heard something heavy fall to the ground.

“Sir, is something wrong-!”

“Lady Eva, stay inside-” Eva heard the messenger choke on his words and then a _thump._

“Sir!” She banged on the carriage door several times, trying to open it but it was locked. She shouted again and again.

Then, the door to the carriage was forcefully opened, causing Eva’s eyes to widen in fear.

***

Sparda eyed anxiously at the grand clock of the palace hall.

It was already 6 in the evening, and Eva had not even arrived yet.

He learned from Eva’s maid that Eva had to be on duty today due to a shortage of staff and was assigned to carry out health inspection at a small village near Mitis Forest. The distance between the village and the Palace wasn’t that far. It only took over an hour to ride via a carriage. But Sparda knew the road there was harsh and hoped that wasn’t the cause of his beloved’s delay.

“The Lady has not arrived yet, Sparda?” Sanctus appeared suddenly by his left. His crooked grin gave a chill to whoever looked at him.

Sparda gave him a courtesy nod. “I believe her task at the village took her longer than usual. She is probably on her way now.”

“Is that so.” Sparda raised his brows, unsure if that was a statement or question. Sanctus continued to circle the waiting hall. “She has such a noble heart. Prioritising her duty instead of her own.” He stopped just a few feets away from Sparda. “You must be lucky. Not many ladies are as selfless as hers.”

There was something malicious behind Sanctus' words that Sparda could not grasp. It sounded so fake coming from someone who should be truthful. But Sparda filled his suspicions away. “She is. And I’m grateful to the king for allowing us to have what we have.”

“You better be, _Outsider_.” Sparda couldn’t help but to notice the snarl when Sanctus said that. “If it wasn’t for your accomplishment for the Kingdom, His Majesty won’t even bother to grant your foolish request. To think you would dare to soil the blessed citizens here. You both really know no shame. Now, I pray for everything to run smoothly tonight. I don’t want the two of you to make a fool out of the King.” The pope warned as he walked out of the waiting hall. As he was about to open the door, he turned back to Sparda again. “And the girl is already running late. What a disgrace.”

****

Eva's legs felt sore from running.

She didn’t know how far she had run into the forest. She glanced behind her, making sure nobody was chasing after her, and to her relief nobody was there. So leaned on a huge oak tree, taking in a deep breath.

When those attackers tried to drag her out of the carriage, Eva managed to knock one of them down by hitting them with the medical supplies. She even got to take the weapon on the fallen attacker and defended herself with it when others tried to get hold on her. She was glad that she finally could practice the self-defense moves that she learnt when she was young. But since she was outnumbered, the best course of action was to escape.

Looking up at the night sky, Eva realised it was probably already late. The Gala must have already started for an hour already and… _Oh Dear, Sparda_ , her heart ache knowing that Sparda must be waiting for her at the palace.

“I should be going.” She said to herself as she moved from the tree. But then Eva looked at her surroundings and realised to her horror that she didn’t know which path she should take to go back to the castle.

“Oi, over here!!”

Dread engulfed her whole body when she heard one of the attacker’s voices. What should she do? There were about five of those bandits and most of them carried dangerous weapons. She only had a wooden plank as her weapon and she knew the weapon wouldn’t last that long enough. She could fight them but she knew that was a bad idea. Five against one, that spelled for a doom. Running away seemed like a viable option.

And so Eva ran but before she could make it far, she tripped on tree roots, causing her to sprain her ankle.

“Yer really think yer can run away there, lil missy?” One of the bandits appeared from the darkness of the forest, holding a machete.

Eva tried to stand but couldn’t as hot pain shot through her ankle to her whole body. She could only manage to drag herself backwards, away from the approaching steps of that bandit.

“No need to run away, missy. We just want to have some fun.” As the bandit came closer, Eva saw that he was wearing some kind of cloth on his face, trying to reveal his identity. “You ain’t bad there, missy. You knocked one of our guys out cold. Didn’t know a lady could do that!”

“What? You think we can’t defend ourselves?” She spat, hand sneakily reaching out the wooden plank behind her.

“I don’t know. I thought noble ladies only play houses and be a toy to your master.” The bandit laughed, joining along by his other four friends.

Eva tried to control her anger. This was not the time for her to take the bait. She knew the reason they did that was to let her drop her guard down before they could attack. It was a disgusting tactic but she knew better. She needed to focus and think of a way to escape.

“If ya thinking some kind of plan to escape from us, then don’t. It won’t work, missy. Not with that leg of yours.” He tried to reach for her but Eva was quick to swat his hand away. The bandit started to laugh. “Damn, bitch! No wonder that filthy outsider wanna fuck you so bad! You’re feisty!”

Those disgusting remarks made Eva’s blood boil with anger. She glared at them, unable to contain that rising anger. Noticing her deathly glare, the guy, whom Eva assumed as the leader of the bandit, squatted in front of her, as he ceased his laughter

“Too bad. He won’t gonna have ya, missy.” Eva noticed his eyes turned dark and hollow, and fear started to crept in as the other bandits started to circle around her.

“Cowards.” Eva spat. “If Sparda was your target, why didn’t you find and fight him instead? Going after me won’t change anything. If any, you only irk his ire.”

The rest of the bandits laugh again, acting as if they weren’t afraid of their impending doom. The leader wheezed and took his breath. “Ya think we are dumb, missy? We know that. But it serves him a reminder for him not to fuck around with the law of the church. He can come for our throat, but he still gonna lose.”

“Law of the church?” Eva gasped in bafflement, realising what the leader implied. Eva had to swallow her bitter laughter. “You mean Sanctus set this all up?” She knew the pope was against this whole arrangement. But to resort to such disgusting tactics...

“Clever are ya? So, what? It’s not like yer get to tell the king about it. Yer probably be demon’s dinner by the time they find yer.”

The rest of bandits came closer to her with their weapon, trapping her from escape. Eva knuckles went white, she couldn’t believe Sanctus could go as so low to kill her.

“Grab her, boys. We got dinner to feast.” He chuckled darkly and Eva started to panic.

As the other two bandits tried to seize her arms, suddenly a cauldron of bats appeared out of nowhere and surrounded those bandits.

“Forcing yourself on a helpless woman? I never thought that humans could go so low than animals.” Eva recognised that sultry voice. She had heard it once in her dream before. She looked up and saw the woman stood under the moonlight.

“You’re-”

“Oh yes, darling. I’m your dearest fairy godmother. Or whatever this tale wants to refer me to.” She snapped her finger, and the bats suddenly emitted electricity, stunning the bandits to the ground. Then the bats flew back to her and disappeared into her black shawl. “That should take care of them for a while. I’ll be honest, I would have preferred to kill them off instead, but I believe you might find them useful alive then dead.”

The bandits were still breathing as Eva watched the way their chest rose. She thought over the woman’s words and found that her logic was sound. If she wanted to reveal to the King what Sanctus had planned, then she needed them to testify. But based on the leader’s word, they would probably not exposed Sanctus' involvement in this.

“Honey, don’t fret yourself over that. I can cast them a spell for them to speak out the truth if that’s going to ease your worries.”

“How did you-”

“I’m your fairy godmother. Of course I know what’s on your mind.” She winked. “Now show me your leg.”

Eva showed her right ankle and asked. “Emm, Fairy... godmother?”

“Urgh, please. Just call me Nevan. That title made me sound so old.” she hissed.

“I’m sorry. Emm… Nevan, thank you for saving me.”

“Save your gratitude for later, honey. Don’t you have to be at the palace right now?” Nevan reminded her as she had done healing her ankle. The pain had miraculously stopped and she could move her legs better.

“Yes, I do!” She stood, smoothening her dirtied work dress. Sparda and her family must be worrying over her since the gala had already started long ago. “But I’m not sure if I can make it there on time. Nor do I know which path to take to the palace.”

“Why do you think I’m here for, Honey?” Nevan smirked. She gestured her hand at the sky, summoning bats from all over the place to form a giant black mass. Then the mass took its shape into a black antique carriage alongside a black horse. “I’ve made the decision to assist you and your darling to be together, and I never take back my words. You are going to the palace, and you will marry your beloved and _consummate_ your love. I had enough of feasting on false love, so I will make sure that nothing stands in your way!”

****

The Gala had long since started but Eva still hadn’t arrived yet.

Many of the guests were wondering when will the King announce the news as they all bombarded Sparda with congratulations and questions regarding Eva’s whereabouts. Sparda tried reaching out to Eva’s maid and to his disappointment, she told him that Eva hadn’t returned home since her departure and informed him that Eva was supposed to head straight to the palace if Eva and her entourage finished their task late.

As worry started to engulf his heart, Sparda decided that he would take matters into his hand.

“Pardon me, your Majesty.” Sparda interrupted the King who was having a conversation with some member of the royal council.

“What’s the matter, Sparda? Has Lady Eva finally arrived?” The King asked while craning his neck to look down on the guest.

“I’m afraid not, your Majesty.” Sparda brows knitted in worry. “She was supposed to arrive here early from Lotus Village. But until now, her entourage has not arrived yet. I even asked her family and even her coworker whether she made a stop in town, but nobody had seen her or even her carriage. I believe something has happened to her, your majesty.”

“Do you wish for me to deploy a search party for you?” The king’s tone turned serious.

“If you insist, your Majesty, then I’ll appreciate every help that I can get.”

“Search party?” Sanctus' voice chimed in, causing both Sparda and the King to turn to him. “For who? Is it for Lady Eva? Where is she?”

“Yes, Sanctus. We believe something must have happened to her carriage when she’s on her way to the palace.” The King replied.

“I heard that she’s coming from that small village in Mitis Forest? Aren't the roads to the palace there are filled with bandits and demons alike? Oh Lord, poor young Lady if something were to happen to her there.” Sanctus clasped his hand into a silent prayer.

There was something suspicious about the way Sanctus reacted to the news. But Sparda didn’t have time to mull over it as he had more pressing matter to do. If what was claimed by Sanctus was true then Sparda wished that none of it were to happen to his beloved.

As Sparda turned to the king for permission, the door to the hall suddenly opened with a loud creak. He turned around and saw a breathless Eva, still in her working dress that was covered with dirt and mud, entering the Royal Hall.

“Eva, my dear, what happened?” He raced down to greet her and she collapsed on his arm. The whole crowd murmured in shock looking at her disheveled state. Some of the servants came to bring her a towel and a chair.

“Sanctus.” Eva said through gritted teeth as she tried to stand using Sparda as her support. “Sanctus sent men to attack the carriage!”

Sparda's eyes widened and he then turned around to look at Sanctus who was turning pale as a sheet. The crowd started to murmur again at the accusation.

“Preposterous!” Sanctus shouted. “How dare you accuse me!”

“Eva, what do you mean?”

“We were on our way to the palace when those goons attacked us. They killed the coachmen and the messenger who came along with me.” Her grip on Sparda’s shoulder tightened as she recalled the event. She took a deep breath. “They tried to kill me too, but I was saved...”

“Is this true, your Holiness?” Sparda was barely able to hold his anger, if it weren’t for Eva holding him for support.

“Nonsense! What good would come from me killing her?" Sanctus then turned to the King. “This is absurd, your Majesty! How dare they make such a ridiculous accusation towards the Church when we already grant them their wishes!”

The king raised his hand to signal everyone present in the hall to remain quiet. “Lady Eva, do you have proof?” Now the whole crowd turned to Eva, expecting to see any sort of evidence that she had to tie the attack to the Pope.

“I do, your Majesty.” The crowd gasped. Then, the door opened and a man stumbled forward over to the floor. Behind him, a lady with long red hair in black dress entered the hall. Sparda took a double take at the lady and realised it was the same woman that appeared in his dream. “This man here is the evidence for my claim. He can tell you who hired him to kill me.”

The King stared at the man and ordered him to rise. The crowd whispered amongst themselves as the man rose from the ground obediently. Fear was apparent on his face as he stared back at the king and then to Sanctus.

“The Lady speaks the truth, my King. His Holiness hired me and my gang to intercept her carriage-”

“Liar!” Sanctus raged

“Enough, Sanctus! Let him finish.” The King ordered, ultimately shutting up Sanctus.

“He told us to kill whoever on the carriage, especially Lady Eva, and hide their remains in the forest to act as if they were attacked by demons.”

Everyone in the hall whispered in shock as they all turned to Sanctus. Sanctus was shaking like a leaf. “That’s a lie! Are you making fun of the church?!”

“It’s true, your Majesty. If you need further proof, you can find the money with His Holiness seal of approval for a land in my shed.” The Pope was clearly shaking his head now, trying to tell everyone that it was a lie. But then a knight came and showed the King of the money and the approval seal that he found in the man’s shed.

“It’s true Your Majesty. I just came back from the shed and found this.”

“Why you!” Sanctus tried to move away from the crowd but then he was stopped by Sparda’s blade and other guards that were now preventing Sanctus from escaping. Sanctus tried to fight but as he was too old to even wield a sword, he was easily detained by the palace guards.

The king then immediately ordered the servants to move Eva and Sparda to another room to give Eva a much needed rest. Then His Majesty dismissed his whole guest and the gala ended quickly that night.

After the whole ordeal, the Pope was found guilty for numerous crimes. He was stripped off his title and was exiled off the island to the mainland. Because of that, the king elected a new Pope for the Church, and the discriminatory law for it’s female citizens was then being abolished.

As for Eva and Sparda, after the whole ordeal, they finally got to get married with the blessing from both The King and the new Pope. Their wedding was celebrated by the whole kingdom, and everyone wished them a wonderful marriage ahead.

Included Nevan, who was very much delighted at the result of her interference. Finally got to feast to her heart’s content as the Kingdom was now brimmed with hope and genuine love.

****

“And that’s how your mother and father get to be together!” Eva ended her story with a cheerful note as her twin sons listened attentively to her story of the past.

Of course, she didn’t tell the whole exact story to her children though, that was kinda a bit too personal to tell them when they were still too young to understand. Nevertheless, her children loved it when Eva told her that story, it made them feel amazed that their parents had a ‘thrilling adventure’ to prove their love.

“Mother, what did Nevan mean by her feeding on love?” Vergil asked innocently as they were cleaning up their toys.

“Yeah, can love make someone full?” Dante then added, scratching his head.

Eva blinked, clearly realizing that she forgot to omit that part in her story. “Ah well... what Nevan meant is that she thrives on the power of true love... Emm, you will understand that later when you all grow up into fine young gentlemen. But come on now, it’s time for your father to return home. Let’s wait for him inside.” Eva tried to change the subject and to her relief her sons seemed satisfied with the answer and followed her along.

The three of them chatted more on their way back to the mansion, with Vergil and Dante making guesses on what’s for dinner. Eva held both of her sons’ hands, smiling fondly as she listened to their voices.

Content with the love she had created with her beloved.


End file.
